Mrs. Tang had finally earned the villagers' trust for a while, so she was naturally smug and seized the chance to extort Lingdang.
It didn't matter whether Lingdang had money or not, because her master, Su Li, was wealthy. Su Li could casually slip some silver through his fingers and cover her family's expenses for years.
Lingdang, as a female covert guard, had never been falsely accused by a rural shrew before. Faced with the villagers' noisy accusations, she was at a loss for words.
"If you can't kill or beat her, she's just so annoying!"
Just when Mrs. Tang was smugly confident she'd win, Zhang Zhaocai suddenly spoke up, telling everyone, "It was me who tripped my mother, it has nothing to do with Lingdang."
Mrs. Tang's pleased expression instantly turned sour. Grabbing Zhang Zhaocai, she whispered harshly, "Zhaocai, are you out of your mind? What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lingdang watched Mrs. Tang from the side. If it were anyone else, she might have helped, but since Mrs. Tang was freshly caught faking injury, Lingdang dared not get involved, fearing trouble.
Lingdang's eyes flickered with surprise. Did this brat suddenly have a conscience?
Zhang Zhaocai stood up from the ground, completely ignoring Mrs. Tang. After she went inside, he looked at Lingdang and said, "I just spoke up for you. Are you happy now?"
Lingdang looked puzzled: "What’s there to be happy about? You and your mother framed me. You clearing my name is just what you should do."
"Mrs. Tang, don’t you feel guilty, using us as pawns! Why don’t you just go fall and break yourself!"
Mrs. Tang sat on the ground wailing, cursing the villagers for being heartless and lacking sympathy, then cursing Lingdang, but she dared not curse Zhang Zhaocai.
Zhang Zhaocai listened to Mrs. Tang’s cursing, feeling annoyed, and said, "Shut up, stop yelling!"
Mrs. Tang truly dared not yell anymore. She huffed angrily, shut her mouth, struggled a few times to get up from the ground, but couldn’t.
Lingdang watched Mrs. Tang. If it were someone else, she would dare to help, but Mrs. Tang was freshly caught faking injury, so Lingdang didn’t dare touch her, afraid of getting into trouble.
Mrs. Tang realized Lingdang wouldn’t come to help her, so she accepted her bad luck, groaning as she got up, noticing her ankle seemed twisted, and limped home whining.
Zhang Zhaocai got up from the ground, completely ignoring Mrs. Tang. After she went inside, he looked at Lingdang and said, "I just spoke up for you, are you happy?"
Lingdang looked puzzled: "What’s there to be happy about? You and your mother framed me, and you clearing my name is just what you should do."
Zhang Zhaocai’s expression darkened as he said, "Don’t pay attention to Tudan. He just looks good but is actually a pretty boy."
Lingdang crossed her arms and clicked her tongue twice: "You sure meddle a lot. But speaking of which, you’re no good either. Lazy, stealing chickens, sneaking around, you’re the number one troublemaker in Haizi Village. And look how you treat your mother—beating and scolding her, not even helping when she falls. It’s like she’s not your real mother but an enemy. You don’t even know how to be filial. You’re definitely no good! I’m telling you, Zhang Zhaocai, if you come to mess with me again, I’ll make sure you regret it!"
After saying that, Lingdang waved her fists a few times, too lazy to argue with this brat, and hurried home to avoid delaying her trip to the city with Su Li.
Zhang Zhaocai stood dumbfounded, staring at Lingdang’s retreating back. Her words struck him like a thunderbolt.
He had been like this since childhood, imitating his father. His father liked to take out his anger on his mother, and once Zhang Zhaocai tried to do the same. His father praised and encouraged him, so Zhang Zhaocai gradually stopped caring about his mother.
No one had ever told him before that what he was doing was wrong, that he was no good. Zhang Zhaocai had never thought about it either.
But today, Lingdang’s words suddenly made him feel ashamed.
It turned out he was actually no good at all, far worse than that Tudan...
Mrs. Tang sat at the doorstep shouting, "Zhaocai, come inside quickly. Tell me, should you marry Yindou or Lingdang? Yindou has money, Lingdang has skills. Oh, what a dilemma... Wait, why don’t we marry Yindou as your wife and take Lingdang as a concubine?"